Disposable cameras making a comeback through new app

Huji Cam is a free app that mimics the look of a Fujifilm Quicksnap disposable camera. When opened, the screen of the user’s smartphone transforms into an analog camera with a small viewfinder. There are two ways to take photos: squint through the viewfinder, or zoom in to have a larger display.

Huji develops pictures when they are taken, adding randomized glitches and streaks of light. Senior Abigail Eaton said she enjoys the app because it saves her time with photo editing.

“It’s a really easy way to just take a picture, and it edits it for you,” Eaton said. “I like the vintage look that the app gives you. You don’t have to worry about things like exposure and contrast because it does that all for you.”

Unlike other available filtering apps, Huji does not allow the user to upload pictures to edit, but instead requires the picture to be taken right away from the app. The random nature of the edit means the user runs a risk of having to take multiple photos before getting the best take. Senior Makayla Archer said this makes her pictures feel more genuine.

“I think it adds to the thrill of not knowing the outcome of the picture,” Archer said. “It’s more realistic and unpredictable, which fits my personality.”

Huji attempts to make every photo feel memorable by adding the classic timestamp that disposable cameras usually insert. The default stamp sets the year to 1998 – a small detail that stands out about Huji – but users can change it to 2018. While senior Kaitlin Helkey appreciates the vintage mark,she said she prefers the present-day label.

“It’s cool that it puts the date in the corner like old VCR-type lettering,” Helkey said. “There’s an option to stamp the year at the bottom as 1998 or 2018, but I tend to leave it 2018 because I like to stay current with a past vibe.”